


Smooth Roads Ahead

by Merfilly



Series: Walk a Different Road [12]
Category: Transformers (Bay Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Multi, Xenophilia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-12
Updated: 2011-10-12
Packaged: 2017-10-24 13:29:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/263993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Things settle down, now that Mikaela is safe, and the future is looking clear.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Smooth Roads Ahead

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. Features mech/human relationships, quite implicitly this part.
> 
> 2\. Canonical Hatchlings.
> 
> 3\. Set after RotF, but precludes further sequels.

Once Ratchet had seen to a few minor injuries and worked out a formula of fuel and additives that would nourish (if not satisfy) the hatchlings, they were secured in the building that had been used by Octane and Blitzwing. Ratchet sent out a call for all of the available mechs to come in to donate energon, with those away from base reporting that they would soon arrive.

Mikaela's unusual hold on the hatchlings had worked in their favor while settling them into their new home. Even though she could feel their presences as strongly as she did her cohort (strange as that was), she couldn't communicate with them. When she finally left the building they were in, their sluggish cries toward her pulled on all her heartstrings. She had never considered kids, even thinking about the future, and now a brood of Cybertronians had suddenly claimed her as some kind of foster-parent.

Now, while she settled into a hot bath to get the day's fear stink off of her skin, she contemplated the nature of the changes becoming quickly apparent in her biology. Ratchet's opinon was that the so-called increase in energy the two traitors had detected was related to human cell replication. If her cells were 'infected' with spark energy, the replicated cells from those 'infected' ones were somehow reproducing even that energy. They would have to study how useful that could be later.

Mikaela's lips twitched in a half smile, remembering Ratchet's promise of a thorough scan and analysis as soon as things settled. That, of course, was in the air, because the contact with unfriendly Decepticons during her abduction had apparently yielded an intact processor. That meant she had Jazz's restoration to attend on top of her new skill with the hatchlings Megatron had just dumped on them.

"Mikaela?"

Optimus's deep voice came from her communicator, making her reach for it where she had left it near the tub.

"Yes, Optimus?"

"I would like to share your company this night."

A shiver ran down Mikaela's spine at that. Though they had shared quarters, Optimus had been busy enough lately that Mikaela had spent several nights in medical instead, rather than disturb him. The mechs did not have to recharge daily, but if Mik intruded in quarters while Optimus was trying to work, he felt compelled to stop and lay down, so as not to disturb her. Granted, he continued networking to accomplish some work, but it was not efficient.

"Optimus, I would love that," she said, her voice husky and warm. There was a pause, and she let her fingers trail along her thigh teasingly, knowing that he was getting himself under control, fields flaring. A quick thought told her that he was in operations, which meant Sideswipe would either rib him mercilessly, or completely ignore it.

"As soon as I have communicated with Arcee, I will return to our quarters."

"No need to hurry. I'm in the bath right now." She shifted deeper into the steaming water, letting a low moan escape as the water covered her breasts.

"Mikaela, I believe this is the point I call you a cock-tease, if I understand the usage right," Optimus informed her, his voice strained slightly.

"No teasing at all, Optimus. I make good on any implications I let slip," she told him. "I'll see you when you get here."

"Soon," he promised her.

The communicator went dead, and Mikaela placed it back onto the table. With the hot water relaxing her cares away, her desires fully awakened by the Prime who claimed her as Consort, and her own need for stress relief, she continued to let her fingers trail over her skin. She had no interest in full completion yet, but Optimus would find her very hungry when he did get to their berth.

`~`~`~`~`

Ratchet looked over amusedly as Optimus set Mikaela down just outside the medical complex before continuing on his way. It pleased him that Optimus was so calm again, given the scare the day before. He made a note to himself to try and encourage Optimus to push more of his workload onto Mirage's shoulders. The Prime did not need to handle all the bureaucracy by himself.

That mech was still wonder-struck, from what Ratchet had seen while picking up a ration in the common mess. Apparently, Sideswipe had apologized to him, and made good on the apology by actually sitting out with Hound and Mirage on their nightly star-watch. Ratchet was not going to make any assumptions, but he thought he saw a tell-tale smudging of paint on Mirage's usually pristine chassis.

"Checked on the hatchlings?" Mikaela asked, looking up at Ratchet.

"They've slipped into a somnolent state, as expected, while their bodies process the new additives," Ratchet answered her. "As Optimus will be in meetings with Lennox on his arrival, as well as our liaison in Washington, you and I have time to look at the basics of a processor."

The way Mikaela brightened warmed the medic, down deep. He'd observed the humans long enough to see that when emotional entanglements occurred, their ability to process logically was impaired. Optimus had already dismissed three soldiers from the base (two males, one female) for their ill-advised emotional outbreaks driven by one of the males' feelings that the female belonged to him. All the Cybertronians, who saw such unwillingness to share as a Decepticon trait at best, had found the situation distressing.

Ratchet had already stripped the recovered head of a 'Con he had not even known down to just the interior processors, which he showed Mikaela as they came back to the work table they reserved for her lessons. "I already pulled the memory module and personality components, per Optimus's orders, and saw to their destruction."

"How did you? I know that's a touchy subject, but you mentioned those components and the spark case are the three most durable parts of a mech."

"I removed the outer, protective casings, and subjected the interiors to magnetic bombardment before setting both components in a strong acid. Without the casings, they are far less able to withstand punishment." Ratchet left out the prayer he had commended to the All Spark for having so blatantly destroyed another, even if that one's spark had already been destroyed by Sideswipe.

Mikaela looked at the very densely packed circuitry that remained, and shook her head. "So, what do we do now?"

Ratchet mimicked the humans he was growing far too accustomed to by inhaling, then slowly letting it out. It was, after all, an effective stress reliever, even if he had no need of the extra oxygenated gasses. "We will run a baseline purge of the processor, encode it with the minimal programming needed for functioning, and then … we attach Jazz's memory and personality modules to it. I cannot be certain those are undamaged, but from the looks of what was left of his original processor, the energy storm caused by his casing being torn open seemed to have stopped relatively short of touching the connections to either module."

"How will we know?" Mikaela pressed, looking up at her teacher.

"Like with your brain, that stumps your doctors, we won't, until he is alert."

The tone of pained self-hate for that part of this equation had Mikaela scrambling from beside Ratchet to actively being in his space. He did not deny her, picking her up off the work table to cuddle her closer to his spark.

Mik was certainly not protesting being his teddy bear right now, not with so much riding on what they were going to attempt.

`~`~`~`~`

Eighteen hours straight of working, with only a brief break for a single meal had Mikaela staggering with fatigue and hunger both, but her hands had been so needed, with their ability to get in where Ratchet's tools had a more difficult time. The medic realized he had pushed his student too far for her abilities the minute Mikaela climbed down from the work bench and staggered with a wave of dizziness.

"I am sorry," he started, but she held up a hand at him, waving off the concern.

"We got all the connections made." She did rest her hand against his thigh, letting him support her. At that, Ratchet slipped his own hand down, gently scooping her up and putting her on his shoulder as it shaped for being ridden. She did not protest, letting him carry her out of Medical, to her quarters, with a brief stop at the mess hall for a dinner plate.

Optimus joined them so swiftly that Mikaela glared at her teacher for being overprotective.

She forgave him though, when he did not leave, and she got to sleep curled between two very warm mechs that night.

`~`~`~`~`


End file.
